Hattiesburg for Young Family (Jackson: salons, homes, neighborhood)

[Winter_Sucks]

Hi, y'all. I'm thinking about moving my young family to Hattiesburg or the surrounding area, would this be a good idea or not? Either way let me know about all of the good, bad, and ugly about Hattiesburg. Thank you. God bless.

[brickpatio]

Hattiesburg is one of the more popular towns in Mississippi. Good location, prosperous, college town, relatively safe, cultural events, good county schools, lakes, trees, etc.

The most impressive things I've seen is the Canebrake development out Highway 98 west. Gorgeous homes, nice lake, endless trees, very affluent and attractive. And Highway 98 west is full of nice-looking modern development, such as malls, gas stations, stores, a hospital, churches, etc. Everything looks new.

The location is good becuase of proximity to the Coast, New Orleans, Florida, Mobile, and Jackson.

The downsides that people usually mention...Highway 98 is the main drag through town and there's quite a bit of traffic. Of course people large cities barely notice the traffic there, so it's all relative. And Hattiesburg doesn't have the historic charm and character of some cities; it's newer and kind of sprawled out along two main strips (Hwy 49 and Hwy 98).

Overall, most people really like the quality of life in Hattiesburg.

[Tama]

Hattiesburg has activities for children through the university, recreation dept., and community. There are programs for sports, including swimming, and the arts. But it is a small city and depending on from where you are coming it may seem vibrant and fun or limited.
There aren't the educational opportunities like planetariums, history and natural science museums, or major league sports. But there are two excellent military museums, some theater, music, and biking trails.
There is a historic neighborhood where some young families live which is near the Sacred Heart Catholic school. The University Heights area is a traditional residential neighborhood which is convenient to banks, shopping, medical, groceries, Starbucks and beauty salons. This is if you want an alternative to the gated community. There is a private and public school option here.
Overall-Hattiesburg is a nice community and is worth considering.